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Consol Energy Center
The Consol Energy Center is an arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena will be the second home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. It is expected to complete construction on August 1, 2010 and open for the 2010–11 NHL season. The arena will replace the Penguins current arena, Mellon Arena, which was built in 1961. A ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony was held on August 14, 2008. The arena will attempt to be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold-certified NHL arena. The arena is named for CONSOL Energy, which purchased the naming rights in December 2008. Planning and funding The Lemieux Group explored options to build a replacement for Mellon Arena, the oldest and lowest capacity arena in the NHL, since its purchase of the Penguins in 1999. In an attempt not to use public funding, the Penguins filed for a slots license under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The Penguins were granted the license, though the decision of which casino company would receive approval was the Gaming Control Board's decision. The Lemieux Group reached an agreement with Isle of Capri Casinos, which offered to fully fund a $290 million arena, if Capri could also construct a $500 million casino nearby. Other casinos, including Majestic Star Casino and Forest City Enterprises, also agreed to partially contribute to the arena's funding. On December 20, 2006, the Gaming Control Board awarded the license to Majestic Star Casino, who agreed to pay $7.5 million for the first 30 years, in addition to the Penguins paying $4 million per year. The casino experienced financial difficulty, which could have led to taxpayers financing the entire project. However, on August 14, 2008 the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board selected Neil Bluhm to take ownership of the casinos, which pulled the casinos out of risk of bankruptcy. The arena's funding plan was agreed upon by Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl, and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell on March 13, 2007, after much negotiation. During negotiations, the Penguins explored moving the franchise to Kansas City or Las Vegas; after the deal was made the Penguins agreed to stay in Pittsburgh for at least thirty more years. Lemieux later stated that relocating the franchise was never a possibility, but instead it was a negotiation tactic to help the team get funding for the arena from both state and local officials. The arena was originally scheduled to open for the 2009–10 NHL season; however, this was pushed back to the 2010–11 NHL season. The arena was expected to cost approximately $290 million, but rose to $321 million due to increased cost of steel and insurance. The Penguins agreed to pay $3.8 million per year toward construction, with an additional $400,000 per year toward capital improvements. After $31 million cost rise, the Penguins pledged an additional $15.5 million, while the State and Sports and Exhibition Authority split the difference. In September 2009, the State contributed an additional $5.08 million from the "Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund" to cover a rising "interest on variable rate bonds". The arena is expected to help the surrounding area grow financially; plans are in place to construct a bar and a grocery store nearby. In October 2008, the Penguins reached an agreement with the Horizon Properties Group to build a 135-room hotel adjacent to the arena. A "nationally-franchised hotel" is expected to open in August 2010. Horizon has developed Hampton and Homewood Suites in the region, and is planning a similar project at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pennsylvania. A 15-foot montage of pictures inspired by the works of August Wilson will be created for Fifth and Centre Avenues. The Arena Football League considered starting an expansion team in the arena, however, the league folded in August 2009. However, a new league founded in 2009 has also considered an expansion team in Pittsburgh. http://www.sltrib.com/Sports/ci_14419530 Design and construction Populous, formerly HOK Sport, designers of PNC Park and Heinz Field, designed the building, while the ICON Venue group oversaw the building of the arena. More than a dozen buildings were razed in order to create room for the new arena. On April 8, 2008, Populous presented design renderings to the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission, receiving negative feedback. Local architect Rob Pfaffmann went so far as to say, "If I put a Home Depot sign on that, it looks like a Home Depot." Populous returned on May 6 with new plans, which were unanimously approved by the City Planning Commission. The Penguins have contacted the Pittsburgh Technology Council, which includes 1,400 businesses, in order to find new technologies to implement into the arena's design. On demand replays from touch-screens will be available in luxury suites, while "Yinz Cam"—a system developed by Carnegie Mellon University students—will allow any fans to view instant replays from multiple angles on their cell phones. The arena's capacity will be 18,087 for hockey, in honor of Sidney Crosby's number 87, and 19,000 for basketball games. The venue will hold 14,536 to 19,758 for concerts, depending on the layout. The venue will also include 2,000 box seats and 66 suites, in honor of Mario Lemieux's number 66. Ticket prices will range from $115,000 to $150,000 per season for luxury boxes to individual game tickets at $22. Ken Sawyer, Penguins' chief executive officer, has asked that the interior be modeled after Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix. "I was just taken aback by their seats," said Sawyer, "Even when I was up in a high level, I had a great view." NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the building "very well designed." Bettman liked the size of the concourses and the view offered of Pittsburgh's skyline. Mario Lemieux along with officials from the state and local governments ceremonially broke ground on a new hockey arena on August 14, 2008. Shovels, with shafts made from team captain Sidney Crosby's used hockey sticks, were used for the ground-breaking ceremony. Erection of structural steel took place from January 2009 to August 2009. The arena is named for CONSOL Energy, the largest producer of bituminous coal in the United States, which signed a 21-year agreement with the Penguins in December 2008. References External links *Diagram of the arena's site *Live feed of construction Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States Category:NHL arena